


Violation

by RaySimp



Series: Dick and Dami Week 2019 [4]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Barely finished this on time, Day 4- Music, DickandDamiweek2019, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, but nothing graphic, its Damian's childhood so..., no editting, so I added a chapter/sequel thing?, we die like mne
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-12
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-12 00:24:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18435218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaySimp/pseuds/RaySimp
Summary: Damian has a playlist of songs that remind him of his siblings, parents, and allies (friends).And Tim is too curious for his own good.





	1. Violation

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know how computer networks work. So watch out for that.

Damian has a playlist of songs that remind him of his siblings, parents, and allies (friends). He started collecting songs about his siblings when he came back to life, and after being told of Dick’s supposed death, and after Bruce forgotten him, he started playlists for everyone else. The songs on the playlists represents many things: the person, his relationship with that person, or a certain memory between him and that person it reminds him of- just anything. The playlists are a coping mechanism, a crutch that Damian leans on when the world becomes to much, when he can’t go find the people his missing and wants to see.

The playlists are secret, something he won’t— _can’t_ show, because that means he cares, means he _loves_ them, and that means they can be used against him, it means _weakness_. The playlists are what Damian can’t say to them, things that he wishes he could.

 

* * *

 

So, when Tim breaks into Damian’s private computer network, sees the playlists and e-mails them to the others as a joke, Damian gets angry—no he gets _furious_ , throwing things and becoming belligerent in a way no one has ever seen before. Tim knows he screwed the pooch _hard_. Luckily the boys were upstairs in the Manor and not in the Batcave when Damian found out Tim’s little espionage.

“You, idiotic fool! You always seem to stick your noses where you and it are _not wanted_! This was mine! And you think you can _hack into it and share it without consequences_?!?!” Damian's enraged screaming could be heard from the front door, where Alfred and Dick are, as Dick was picking up some new tech for a case in Bludhaven.

“Hey, what is going on, Alfie?” Dick asks, as Damian’s yelling continues on.

“This is the first I have heard from Tim all morning,” Alfred replies, then a heavy thump and the sound of something breakable shattering resounds through the house making Dick and Alfred jump.

“You _, ingrate_!” Damian shouts.

“I said I am sorry!” Tim responds.

“Calm down, Demon!” is-is that _Jason_ trying to defuse a fight? Instead of instigate one?

“That does not make your consequences go away! Get back here!”

Next thing Dick knows is that he is on the second-floor landing- Alfred on the stairs, and Dick is running towards the fight, which so happens to be the library. Slamming the doors open, he sees Tim- his back on the floor and hands covering his face, Jason standing between the youngest vigilantes- tea cup shattered on the wooden floors, and Damian with his phone in one hand, the other hand clinched for a punch and his face twisted in a snarl. “What the— What is going on?! I entered through the front door and heard screaming,” Dick asks loudly, catching everyone’s attention.

“It was a joke—!” Tim begins, yelling.

“It was an invasion of privacy!” Damian cuts off, even louder, finger pointing at Tim.

“Hey! Both of you! Look at me!” Dick instructs, annoyance creeping into his tone. When the glaring match between the youngest two end he takes a deep breath- getting his annoyance under control again- and says, “Thank you. Now, lets sit down,” he gestures to the couch and loveseat, “Tim and Jason on the couch and Damian and I will sit on the other.”

Jason groans, “I didn’t do anything. Why do I have to be here?”

Dick can feel his temper flaring up but luckily Alfred takes over, “Master Jason, unless you want to get Master Bruce, I suggest you take a seat.”

Jason pales, causing Tim to let out a slight snicker, which Dick and Jason tosses him each a look for it. Damian huffs and sits on the cushion farthest from the couch, Dick sitting next to him, Tim and Jason making their way to the couch and Alfred getting Bruce, a rag, and a broom to clean the broken cup. When Bruce walks in and takes a seat on a leather chair, he asks, “What is going on?”

Damian and Tim speak at the same time, but Bruce cuts them off, “Jason, explain,” and at Dick’s pointed look, “please.”

Jason huffs and starts, “I was reading when Tim walked in, needing some help hacking into an unknown network. He thought it looked League related, next thing I know the demon is throwing open the door and looks livid,” he shoots Tim a look, “What case was it, again?”

All eyes on Tim as he speaks up, “I noticed an unknown network when I was working on the Batcomputer security. I thought—”

Bruce cuts him off, “And you didn’t tell anyone? Tim you know better than that.”

Tim, blushing in embarrassment, acknowledges, “I know, but you were working on Dick’s tech and I didn’t want to bother you if I could ask someone else. Anyway, I know that Jason has experience with the League computers, so I asked him. When Jason and I—,”

“Do not bring me into this. I only told you one thing,” Jason protests.

“When _I_ actually hacked the darn thing, I went looking for anything I could find.”

Damian stands up, “And noticed it was my _personal_ network!”

At Jason’s, Bruce’s, Dick’s, and Alfred’s shocked faces (with varying degrees of success of covering up said shock), Tim’s mortification grew exponentially.

But Damian was not finished, “Then you proceeded to look through my _personal_ files, pictures, school work, e-mails, and other things! _And you sent my private playlists to other people_!” After speaking Damian runs out the door and slams the door close, anger rolling off him in waves, but Dick can see the embarrassment in the slight shaking of his hands reaching for the door.

“That’s messed up, Timothy. Thought you were raised better than that,” Jason drawls, making Tim clench his jaw.

“Shut up, Jason.”

Dick speaks up for the first time, “What about the shattered tea cup? And the loud thump?”

Jason grimaces and explains, “I dropped the cup when Dames raged in here, and Tim fell backwards off his chair. Sorry Alfred.”

Dick looks at Bruce, seeing him process all the information, and says, “This was not Damian’s fault.”

“He has an unregistered network and we could have avoided this whole thing,” Bruce shoots back.

Dick’s temper finally reaches its breaking point, “After becoming Batman, _I_ gave Damian the network! The only reason it was not registered is because Tim does not have access to my Nightwing networks from here; consequently, Damian’s did not have a name! So, there, it’s my fault!”

Bruce did not raise his voice, but did ask, “Why did you give Damian a network?”

Dick did not have time for this. He had to find his brother; his little brother that felt _violated_ because Tim couldn’t stop his curiosity. So, when he stood, he doled out, “We can discuss that later. Just know that Damian is not at fault and does _not_ deserve to be punished. I’m going to find Damian and make sure he feels safe,” Dick then turns towards Tim, “and Damian deems himself ready, _you_ are going to apologize to him for pilfering through and stealing his things, not to mention violating his network.” When Dick finished his piece, he rushes out, heading towards Damian’s room.

Reaching the door, he knocks, “Damian, it’s Dick. Can I come in?”

Muffled footfalls are coming from behind the door, and Damian asks, “Is there anyone with you?”

“No, but I was thinking- you can pack a bag, we could go to Bludhaven, and spend a couple of days there? Only if you want to.”

Damian opens the door slightly, “Will the others touch my things, if we go?”

Dick’s heart began to break at the question and look on his youngest brother’s face, “No, they won’t. You know how I know?” Damian gives a small shake of his head, “Alfie won’t let them, in fact, he won’t let them come near it if you ask- or if I ask. But we don’t even have to leave, if you don’t want. We can stay here and watch movies, I can play my guitar and you-your violin, we can play with Titus, wash Batcow. Just whatever you want, whatever makes you comfortable.”

Damian nods quickly to Dick’s words, “I- I wish to stay; but I do not want people in my room.”

“I understand, how about this. I go and grab my computer and we watch a movie? I’ll stay in the hall and you can watch from your room, okay?” Dick asks, taking a step back.

“Can Pennyworth make popcorn, my favorite kind?”

Dick smiles, “I think so, I’ll go ask. Pick up some soda too,” this draws a small, barely-there smile from Damian and Dick feels accomplishment rolling through him as he gathers his supplies. In the hall, he sees Alfred and calls out, “Hey Alf, do you think you can make Damian’s favorite popcorn? We are going to watch a movie.”

“Of course, Master Dick. I will bring it up shortly. Tell me, how is Master Damian doing?” the butler inquires.

Dick’s small smile drops slightly, “Not great. He doesn’t want to leave his room; he is afraid someone will touch or grab his things. I’m going to put _Hercules_ on my laptop, place it and myself on the floor in the hall, and ride this out till he feels safer. I’ll be right back for the snacks.” After Alfred’s affirmation, Dick begins to walk to Damian’s room, the door is closed so Dick says loudly, “It’s just me, Dami. I’m going to set up the movie, collect the snacks from Alfred, then we can start. I’ll be right back,” he waits for Damian’s acknowledgement then heads to the kitchen.

On his way, Tim is walking towards his room, “Hey Tim, you good?” Dick asks.

“Yeah, I guess. I just don’t understand why Damian acted so volatile. I mean he has done it to me, but he didn’t get in trouble for it.”

“Of course, he did. You just didn’t see it. And for the strong reaction, think about it, Tim, he was raised by Talia. His every move was monitored and reported; he could not do anything without people knowing. Hell, he slept with the thought of being attacked running through his mind, so imagine the internet restriction he had- if he was allowed to go on the internet in the first place. But suddenly it’s a one-eighty, he can’t kill, but he can sleep knowing that he won’t be disturbed till morning. He needs his own space, his own area where he _knows_ no one will touch, in the real world and online. So, when you not only hacked into his network, but _stole_ things from him, it rocked his sense of security and safety. Its like you know that you are safe in your room in the Titan Tower, and suddenly one of your teammates goes through your closet, dresser, _and_ under your bed, finds your photography and showing the whole team. That is what Damian is going through,” Dick explains the best he can, watching Tim- waiting for understanding, or guilt, cross his face. When Tim’s face scrunches up, Dick knows he understands, “Anyway wait till Damian leaves his room and you can apologize and assure him you won’t be doing it again.”

Tim nods, turns away, walking towards his room, while Dick collects the snacks from Alfred and returns to Damian’s hallway. “Okay, Little D, snacks are here. Ready for a movie?” Dick asks through the door, placing his tub and cup on the ground. The door opens a tiny bit, Damian looking through slit, pushes it open more and Dick can see a blanket pallet laid out on the floor in the doorway.

“I am permitting you to use my blankets and this much space, Grayson,” Damian says, arms crossed and red cheeked. Dick felt his heart swell at the sight of Damian trusting and caring enough to allow him in the room, let alone the blankets.

“Thanks, Little D. Is _Hercules_ a good movie to start with?” Dick asks, taking off his shoes and situating on the pile of blankets.

“I suppose. Though it is nothing like the original tale.”

Dick grins at Damian’s rebuttal of said movie, “True, but it has one of the better soundtracks.”

“TT.”

When the movie ended Damian is lying next to Dick, resting his head on Dick’s arm and sleepily lets out a, “Grayson?”

“Yes, Dami?”

“I picked out one of those songs for your playlist.”

“Really? Which one?”

Damian snuggles a little closer to Dick, and Dick wraps his arm around the teen, “’Go the Distance’ but it was the original by Michael Bolton. The song reminds me how optimistic you are, it reminds me how patient you are. But most of all, it reminds me when you were Batman and how you have protected and cared for me. It makes me feel safe, when you are not here to do so.”

Dick’s eyes begin to tear up, but he blinks them back, to have put so much thought into these playlists… it shows Dick that he cares so much, “You know, I will always protect and care for you as best I can. And I won’t open it if you don’t want me to.”

“You can, it is just…”

Dick glances down, and sees the most precious sight: Damian dressed in the cotton Batman pajamas Dick bought as a joke, his head resting on Dick’s chest, and arm thrown around Dick’s waist.

 

A month later Damian got an email full of songs from Dick.


	2. Boundaries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I did that sequel thing, I was requested by a lovely anon on tumblr. And I don’t really know any Middle Eastern foods, but wanted to accommodate Damian’s non-lethal culture, so if I am wrong let me know, I don’t want to offend anybody!

Tim knew he screwed up, okay? He knew it as soon as he hit send.

Alfred and Jason left for the kitchen after Dick and Damian, leaving Bruce and Tim to talk. Bruce turned to Tim, face and voice grave, “Tim, I understand why you hacked into the network; it was an unidentified and you wanted to make sure it was safe. But what I don’t understand is why you looked through his files, let alone sending some of them to people. That is a major breech of security and trust. You both were getting along too, and that just destroyed everything that you _both_ worked so hard for.”

Bruce made sure to bring the hammer down, a month of no patrolling (barring emergencies), no Titans, no computer access, and he was immediately sent to his room till stated otherwise. He heard Bruce getting up, probably to go to the Batcave or to check on Damian, but Tim wasn’t really processing Bruce’s movement, too busy in his head. When he exited the library, he heard Damian refuse to leave room, and Tim couldn’t wrap his head around that.

He just did _not_ understand Damian’s reaction. Screaming? Of course. Slamming doors? It was a day that ended in ‘y’, was it not? Damian holing himself in his room? Only after a fight or being told off. So why was Damian in his room now? He wasn’t in trouble and he wasn’t yelled at; so, why the theatrics?

After talking to Dick though, Tim understood. Tim’s actions were not acceptable, he had disturbed a place where Damian felt safe, felt like he could be himself.

Damian was acting like Tim was going to throw open his door, take all his stuff and…

Well… that is exactly what Tim did, isn’t it? But instead of doing it to Damian’s physical room, he did it to Damian’s online safe place. The one Dick gave to Damian, the one Dick trusted Damian to use wisely.

And Tim kicked in the door, pried into all of its nooks and crannies, then- to make it worse- Tim took something personal and shared it with everybody.

When he reached his room, he sat on the edge of his bed and let his head rest in his hands.

 

* * *

 

Two days of strict bedroom only suspension, Bruce walks into Tim’s room with a, “You are allowed to leave your room; but you will not speak to Damian till he is ready for you to,” and leaves for his day at the office. It takes Tim a minute for the words to sink in, then he timidly opens his door and walks into the hall and heads to the kitchen for breakfast.

“Ah, good morning, Master Timothy. Breakfast will be done shortly please take a seat in the dining room. Masters Dick and Damian will be joining momentarily,” Alfred instructs as he finishes prepping the dishes.

Tim freezes at Alfred’s words and asks, “Damian? I thought I wasn’t supposed to see him till he wants to? Does he know that I will be at breakfast?”

Alfred hums as he walks around to a different counter to pick at some dish, “I believe Master Bruce said for you not to _speak_ to him, and Master Dick has told Master Damian about your presence or he would have already been down. Also, meeting in a neutral territory would perhaps ease Master Damian’s nerves.”

Tim nods and hesitantly sits in his chair as Alfred begins to lay out the dishes. Soon Dick and Damian are walking in the room, Damian sitting as far as he could from Tim and Dick sitting in between them. Upon seeing the meal that has been laid out, Damian’s expression brightens as he spots a bowl of Ful Medames, loaf of Za’atar Manouche, feta cheese and olives on a side platter, and Moroccan mint tea, after taking a look at everything Damian turns to Alfred and says, “Thank you for the meal, Pennyworth. It looks marvelous.”

Dick smiling at the boy asks, “What is all this? I don’t think I have eaten this before.”

Alfred opened his mouth to answer Dick’s question, but Damian cut him off, sounding slightly excited, “This is a Middle-Eastern breakfast. The bowl is Ful Medames which is an Egyptian dish, it has boiled fava beans, chopped tomatoes, green onions, lemon juice, and garlic with some other spices, it’s texture is between soup and dip.” The teen points to the bread, “The Za’artar Manouche is a Levantine bread that Pennyworth as topped with a series of spice which is called Za’artar. The bread can be served with an array of toppings and/or dips.” Finally, pointing at the tea, he says, “If what I think is true, then this is Moroccan mint tea, usually served as a social tea, mainly sold at cafes.” After his explanation, Damian looks at his lap and whispers out, “I can’t remember the last time I had something like this.”

Tim, who has been staring at the food the whole time, can feel his heart reach out for the kid.

Because that was what Damian was. A kid. A traumatized child. A traumatized child that Tim had hurt in a similar way that his mother did.

And if that didn’t make Tim hate himself even more, nothing could. But he did hate himself more.

That meal left Tim in silence as Damian, Dick, and Alfred told eachother their plans for the day. Damian and Dick were going to give Batcow a wash, and Alfred was restocking all the medical supplies in the Cave.

When Tim was done, food tasting like ash in his mouth, his dishes left with Alfred, he heads towards to the in-home gym and pounds in a punching bag so hard his knuckles bruise, he runs on the treadmill so long his legs are cramping with overuse, and he does as many crunches as he can before his body gives out and can’t move anymore.

As he stares at the ceiling from his place on the ground, Tim thinks about how Damian sounded like Tim did as his first few months of being Robin. How scary it was, how he thought that he was unwanted. Then he turns on his side despite his protesting muscles and cries; cries for his little brother’s traumas, the ones that leaves scars all up and down his body, the ones Tim never paid attention to- he never wanted to.

He cries for the child that Damian never has been and never could be.

He cries for the child that Damian yearns to be.

 

* * *

 

After a couple more days of Damian and Tim dancing around eachother, Dick has to head back to Bludhaven and thus left Damian and Tim with no buffer. Damian becomes more confident as Tim doesn’t try to enter his hallway. Tim becomes very careful treading in the Manor, not scared- just cautious- not wanting to upset Damian.

After lunch two weeks after what Tim dubs “ _The Incident_ ” Damian walks over to Tim and just stares at him, and Tim—Tim doesn’t know what to do. Does he smile? Wave? Sneak out?

But before Tim can make a decision, Damian makes one for him as the young teen asks timidly, “…Why?”

Tim’s shoulders sag as the question rings in the dining room for a minute, then he carefully looks Damian in the eyes and begins to explain, “When I first looked at the layout of the computer network, I recognized it similar to the League’s and was worried we were compromised. Then I went to Jason—”

Quickly, Damian cuts him off and asks, “Why did you not come to me? I have had more training with the League than Todd has.”

Frustrated, Tim sighs, collecting his thoughts then brings up, “I didn’t know where you were, and when Jason is here, he is either in the kitchen or library. Plus, we have been getting along recently, I-I didn’t want to jeopardize that.”

Damian gives Tim a incredulous look and points out, “You didn’t want to bother me, yet not ten minutes later you send my personal playlists to everyone? You are as stupid as I thought Drake.”

Tim bristles at the insults but stops himself from lashing out- figuring that, yeah, it does sound stupid, the Demon has a point- and continues without acknowledging the remark, “When I finally hacked into your system, I didn’t know it was yours. It wasn’t till I found those playlists that it occurred to me that it was a personal computer network, and when I recognized it as yours, I just…” Tim trails off, trying to remember what crossed his mind to lead to hit send, “I just thought it would be poetic justice, for all the times you hacked into my stuff. I thought it would be some harmless revenge.”

Damian huffs and says, “I haven’t hacked into your things in two years, barring emergencies.”

“I know, it was petty of me and I should have been a better person. I’m sorry.”

“TT,” Damian tuts out dismissively, and it grinds Tim’s thinking to a halt.

Tim takes a good, long look at Damian and sees the tension in his shoulders, the distrust in his eyes, and the slight tremble of his hands that are crossed across the teen’s chest- the signs point to Damian feeling nervous and scared- and that throws Tim for a loop. Damian being scared of Tim was the last thing he wanted. Because that means Tim is becoming like his parents; uncaring, neglectful, and someone that someone needs to be afraid of.

And that startles him so much, he feels his heart stop.

Then Tim drops to his knees and grasps Damian’s hands and begins to says what his heart has been aching to say after Dick’s explanation, “Damian, I am so sorry for invading a place where you felt safe. It was _so_ wrong of me. And I made you feel unsafe in your own house, and I never wanted that, because I _know_ how that feels and it is not okay to feel that way in a place where you should feel at peace,” Tim can see the tears the are forming in Damian’s eyes; but, continues anyway, “If I ever, _ever_ , make you feel that way, I need you to tell me or show me so I can adjust my actions and words accordingly, okay?”

Damian nods, looks away for a few minutes, then with a slight quiver in this voice says, “I understand, Drake. Thank you. I forgive you for your past transgressions.” Tim nods and begins to stand when Damian latches onto his hands then speaks, “But you need to tell me as well, and I will accommodate your boundaries too.”

Tim smiles, then asks, “Can I bother you for a hug, Damian? I think Dick would be proud of us.”

With pink cheeks, Damian opens his arms, accepting Tim’s affection, with a smile hinting on his lips as Tim carefully wraps his arms around the teen’s shoulders.

“I believe he would be, Drake.”

**Author's Note:**

> Headcannon that one of the songs on Damian playlist is ‘I’ll Be Good’ by Jaymes Young.
> 
> I'm always up for a good Batfam chat on tumblr (@rayesimp and @rayewriting)!!


End file.
